GRAND CHUTE – Waupun bounced back from an early 3-1 deficit with five unanswered runs on its way to a 6-3 victory over Ellsworth on Wednesday in a WIAA Division 2 state baseball semifinal at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

The Warriors (24-2) will take on Jefferson in Thursday’s title game at 3 p.m.

Brayden Sanders’ two-run single to left highlighted a three-run fourth inning that gave Waupun a 4-3 lead. Keegan Hartgerink also singled in a run in the inning.

The Warriors tacked on a pair of runs in the sixth on pinch hitter Bradyn VandeZande’s two-out, two run single to center.

Senior right-hander Brenden Bille struck out 10 and scattered five hits over 6 1/3 innings to pick up the win.

Jefferson (19-9) sent 16 batters to the plate in the inning. Ian Drays’ three-run home run on a 2-1 pitch that soared over the left field wall highlighted an outburst that saw the first 11 hitters reach safely.

Overall, all nine Eagles starters collected at least one hit and scored at least one run.

DIVISION 3

Webster 14, Kenosha St. Joseph 8

Hunter Gustafson pounded out five hits and drove in four runs to highlight a potent offensive punch for the Webster baseball team in its 14-8 victory over Kenosha St. Joseph in a WIAA Division 3 state semifinal matchup.

The Tigers will take on St. Mary Catholic in Thursday’s title game at noon.

Webster (26-3), coached by former big league pitcher and University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh standout Jarrod Washburn, slugged 16 hits and scored in every inning but two.

The big inning came in the third, when the Tigers scored five runs on just two hits to grab a 6-1 lead. Gustafson’s two-run single to left was the key hit.

Jack Washburn, Hunter Rosenbaum and Owen Washburn drove in two runs apiece for the Tigers. Rosenbaum struck out eight to pick up the complete-game victory.

The Lancers (20-6) were paced offensively by Frank McGuire and Jack Grosz, who finished with three and two RBI, respectively.

Skrzypczak stuck out five, allowed only one hit and faced the minimum 21 batters in a sterling complete-game outing. He induced nine groundouts and six flyouts in sending the Zephyrs (18-2) to the title game for the first time since 2016, when they captured the Division 3 crown.

SMC jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first. Caden Uhlenbrauck opened the inning with a leadoff triple to right and then scored on a throwing error on the play. Skrzypczak singled in the other run.

The Zephyrs tacked on two more runs in the third, scoring on a fielding error and hit batter – both with the bases loaded. SMC finished with just two hits.

MINERAL POINT 000 000 0 – 0 1 2

SMC 202 000 x – 4 2 0

WP: TJ Skrzypczak. LP: Grady Gorgen.

DIVISION 4

Thorp 6, Johnson Creek 5

The improbable run to a state championship is now very possible for the Thorp baseball team.

The Cardinals pushed across a pair of runs in the seventh inning to beat Johnson Creek 6-5 in a WIAA Division 4 state semifinal.

Thorp opened the season with four straight losses and suffered setbacks in five of its first six games. It also entered postseason play at 8-10 but has since peeled off six straight victories to put itself in position of winning its first state championship in program history.

The Cardinals (14-10) trailed 5-4 heading into the seventh but drew walks in their first two at-bats to ignite the rally.

Wyatt Denzine later singled in the tying run and Jakob Rosemeyer pushed across the go-ahead run on a sacrifice flyout to left field.

Denzine finished with two hits for the Cardinals, while Reese Drost struck out four and allowed just one hit over three innings of relief to pick up the win.

Thorp will play defending Division 4 state champion Athens in Thursday’s title game at 9 a.m.

Athens used a three-run sixth inning to rally from a 1-0 deficit in getting past Ithaca 3-1 in a WIAA Division 4 state baseball semifinal.

The Fighting Bluejays (20-2) threatened throughout before finally pushing the winning runs across, stranding runners at third to end the second, fourth and fifth innings.

Marshall Westfall opened the sixth with a single to right and Seth Coker followed with a double to left to put runners on second and third.

Westfall later scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1. A one-out squeeze bunt single by Connor Westfall’s scored the go-ahead run from third and a two-out single to left by Javon Penney plated another run.

Marshall Westfall and Coker collected two hits apiece for the Bluejays, while Klay Ellenbecker struck out three over 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win.

Ryan Granger finished with three hits for Ithaca (17-3), which captured the Division 4 state title in 2016.